Strange Lyre: Conclusion
A good theologian once drew me a diagram of the progress of Christian doctrine and Christian history from the apostles to our day. He drew… Read More »Strange Lyre: Conclusion
Pentecostalism
Cessmaticism: The Strange Hybrid of Contemporary Christian Worship
We began this series by making the claim that Pentecostalism has quietly (or not so quietly) colonised Protestant worship, even in those churches and groups… Read More »Cessmaticism: The Strange Hybrid of Contemporary Christian Worship
Strange Lyre: Nothing But Feelings
Pentecostal worship places great emphasis on intensity. By intensity, they mean a strongly felt experience of emotion, intimacy, joy, wonder, or happiness. Indeed, this is… Read More »Strange Lyre: Nothing But Feelings
The Idols of Intensity and Extemporaneity
A polarized debate goes on between different stripes of Christians over the place of experience in Christianity. One side asserts that experiential faith (what the… Read More »The Idols of Intensity and Extemporaneity
Pentecostal “Praise and Worship”: A Radical Departure from Historic Worship
Christian worship has often had a remarkably similar shape across traditions. Bryan Chapell showed in his work Christ-Centered Worship that corporate worship (sans communion) in… Read More »Pentecostal “Praise and Worship”: A Radical Departure from Historic Worship
Early Beginnings of Pentecostal Worship
An easy error for a historian to commit is to equate or link events or movements in history that are similar, while ignoring or underplaying… Read More »Early Beginnings of Pentecostal Worship
Strange Lyre: The Pentecostalization of Christian Worship
It’s hardly disputable that global Christianity has been overwhelmed and colonized by the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. After Roman Catholicism, the Christianity identified variously as… Read More »Strange Lyre: The Pentecostalization of Christian Worship
Pentecostalism’s View of the Holy Spirit’s Work in Worship
Last week, I noted that the most common expectation today of the Holy Spirit’s work in worship is that he will make God’s presence known… Read More »Pentecostalism’s View of the Holy Spirit’s Work in Worship
Pentecostalism, emotion, and worship
W. Robert Godfrey provides1 a helpful look at how the Pentecostal movement impacted evangelicalism’s understanding of the nature of emotion (particularly physical expressiveness) in worship.… Read More »Pentecostalism, emotion, and worship